Key shaft mounting for musical instruments



March 4, 1941. c. w. SILVER KEY SHAFT MOUNTING FOR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS Filed July 22, 1940 (f77/ara W51' ver Patented Mar. 4, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT FFICE KEY SHAFT MOUNTING FOR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS Ind.

Application Juiy 22, 1940, Serial No. 346,843

1 Claim.

This invention relates to musical instruments and to an improved mounting means for mounting the tubular key shaft on a saxophone, clarinet, oboe, or other musical instrument.

An object of this invention is to provide an improved mounting means for a tubular key shaft which is so constructed as to reduce the friction between the stationary shaft and the tubular rock shaft.

Another object of this invention is to provide an improved stationary shaft 'for a tubular key shaft which is so constructed as to permit the use of a lubricant between the ends of the tubular shaft, the stationary shaft being formed in such a manner as to provide a lubricant chamber between the ends of the tubular key shaft.

A further object of this invention is to provide a stationary key supporting shaft which is formed with a reduced intermediate part, the opposite end portions of the stationary shaft being in frictional contact with the inner surfaces of the tubular key shaft and the frictional Contact between the stationary shaft and the tubular rock shaft being of such length as to eliminate a considerable friction now present between these parts.

Embodying the aims aforesaid and others which may hereinafter appear, the invention consists of the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts as will be more specifically referred to and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein is shown an embodiment of the invention, but it is to be understood that changes, variations and modifications may be resorted to which fall within the scope of the invention as claimed.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary side elevation of a portion of a musical instrument, such as a saxophone, clarinet, oboe, or the like, having an improved key mounting means associated therewith which is constructed according to an embodiment of this invention.

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional View taken on-the line 2--2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a detail side elevation of the stationary key shaft.

Figure 4 is a longitudinal section of a modified form of this invention.

Referring to the drawing, the numeral lil designates generally the branch or body of a musical instrument such as a saxophone, clarinet, oboe, or the like and the numeral I3 designates a pad member which is mounted on a pad carrying arm or lever II. The arm or lever II is provided at the end thereof opposite from the pad I3 with a sleeve or bushing l2. A pad operating key I4 is connected to the arm or lever IIY by means of a connecting bar I5 which is connected at one end to the arm I6 of the key Id and at the opposite end is connected to the arm ory lever II outwardly from the bushing I2.

The arm It of the key I4 is provided with a sleeve I1 disposed in axial alignment with the bushing I2. The bushing I2 and the sleeve I1 are rockably mounted as shown in Figure 2 on a solid cylindrical stationary supporting shaft generally designated as I8. The shaft i8 ccmprises a pair of outer end bearing portions 2B and 2l which are of substantially the same diameter and which are connected together by means of a reduced diameter part 22. Extending from the outer end of the bearing portion 2li is a short part 222L of reduced diameter and which corresponds in diameter to the part 22. The outer end of the bearing portion 2i is formed with a kerf 23. The outer end of the reduced part 22a merges into the inner end of a peripherally threaded stud 24, which is adapted to be threaded into a supporting post Z5. The diameter of the stud 2li is less than the bearing portions ZEI, 2l and greater than the reduced part 22a.

The shaft part 2l is extended through a second supporting post 2li. In the present instance an intermediate tubular key shaft 21 is disposed about the stationary shaft IS and is disposed between the bushing I2 and the bushing or sleeve I1. A key 28 is fixed to the shaft 21 adjacent one end thereof and a pad carrying arm 29 is xed to and extends laterally of the opposite end of the shaft 21. The reduced shaft part 22 in the present instance is disposed wholly within the shaft 21 and between the ends thereof and thus forms a lubricant chamber or reservoir 30.

A suitable lubricant such as a light grease or the like may be applied about the reduced part 22 when the shaft I8 is inserted within the bushing I2, tubular shaft 21 and bushing I1. In this manner the larger diameter bearing parts 20 and 2| of the shaft I8 will be lubricated from the chamber 30, the fit between the bearing parts and the tubular shafts or bushings I2, I1 and 21 being such that an excess of lubricant will not leak out.

By providing a mounting means for one or more key structures as shown in the drawing,

the rock shafts or bushings will be provided with reduced bearing surfaces on the stationary shafts so as to thus eliminate a considerable amount of friction and in addition by forming the stationary shaft with a reduced intermediate part, a lubricant may be held within one or more of the rock shafts so that the rock shafts may be amply lubricated and eliminate the necessity of removing the stationary shaft in order to apply the necessary lubricant as is at present the case. While I have shown the stationary shaft IB as having a pair of keys rockably mounted thereon, it will be understood that this same shaft structure may be used with any or all of the tubular rock shafts now forming part of the instrument.

In Figure 4, there is shown a key shaft supporting structure wherein a stationary shaft 3| is mounted between a pair of end posts 32 and 33. The shaft 3| is formed with a plurality of spaced apart cylindrical bearing parts 34, 35, 35, 31, 38, 39 and 4U which are connected together by integral reduced connecting parts. The bearing parts 34 and 35 are connected together by a reduced part 4|, and the bearing parts 35 and 36 are connected together by a reduced part 42. Bearing parts 36 and 31 are connected together by a reduced part 43 and bearing parts 31 and 33 are connected together by a reduced part 44. In like manner bearing parts 38 and 39 are connected together by a reduced part 45, and bearing parts 35 and 4@ are connected by a reduced part 45.

An intermediate supporting post 41 engages the bearing part 35 and a tubular key shaft or sleeve 48 is rockable on the bearing parts 34 and 35 between the end post 32 and the post 41. A second intermediate post 49 engages the bearing `part 31 and a pair of tubular key shafts or sleeves 50 and are disposed between the posts 41 and 49, the shaft 5|) being rockable on the bearing parts 35 and 35, and the shaft 5| being rockable on the bearing parts 35 and 31.

A third intermediate supporting post 52 engages the bearing part 39 and a tubular key shaft or sleeve 53 is rockable on the bearing parts 33 and and is disposed between the posts 33 and 52. Key shafts 54, 55 and 56 are disposed in end abutting relation between the intermediate posts 49 and 52. Shaft 54 is rockable on a portion of bearing part 31 and a portion of bearing part 38. Shaft 55 is a relatively short shaft and is rockable only on bearing part and shaft 56 is rockable on both bearing parts and 39.

The bearing parts 34, 35, 35, 31, .'33, 33 and 4D form therebetween lubricant chambers 51, 5E, 59, 5i), 6I and 62 so that the several rock 4ialts or sleeves may be properly lubricated. The outer end of the bearing part 34 merges into a part 34,2L of reduced diameter and from such part 34 extends a peripherally threaded stud 53 which is threaded into the end part 3ER. The stud 53 constitutes one of the end terminal portions of the shaft 3|. The outer end of bearing part 4i) emerges into a part 4t@ of reduced diameter from which extends a smooth stud 4Gb arranged within the end post 33. The stud 49 forros the other end terminal portion of the shaft 3|.

It will be apparent from the foregoing that the stationary pivot shaft 3| may be of any dosired length and that there may be formed thereon any desired number of bearing parts and reduced diameter connecting parts, and as the length of the shaft 3| increases intermediate supporting posts may be provided to properly support the shaft.

What I claim is:

in combination, in a musical instrument having a tone pipe, a pair of spaced apertured posts i secured to said pipe, a rockable tubular lzey shaft arranged between said posts, a stationary shaft extending through one of said posts and saving an end threadedly engaging with the other, said stationary shaft extending through said tubular shaft andfbeing of circular contour in cross section, said stationary shaft formed with a pair of spaced endwise aligned portions of corresponding diameter constituting bearings for the inner face oi said tubular shaft and with a portion arranged between and of reduced diameter with respect to the said other portions, said portion of reduced diameter correlating with the aligned ends of the portions of greatest diameter and a part of the inner face o' said tribular shaft to provide a lubricant chamber, and said stationary shaft having a korf in the end thereof opposite from the threaded end.

CHARLES W. SLJVER. 

